Freight car straightening device



June 8, 1948. R. c. SCHRAM FREIGHT CAR STRAIGHTENING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1945 Knuenfor RogQSchmm June 8, 1948. RC. scHRAM FREIGHT CAR STRAIGHTENING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet '2 Filed Feb. 5, 1945 \nuenfor L G. Schrom 1 w June 8,1948. R, C, SCHRAM 2,442,939

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R. C. SCHRAM FREIGHT CAR STRAIGHTENING DEVICE June 8, 1948.

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FREIGHT CAR STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1945 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 E E E 5 i 2 5 Y i i a a 'a a i i i i :/'2 4 g I i l6 i i J6 ig 25 Patented June 8, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREIGHT REAR STRAIGH'IENING DEVICE Roy 0. Schram, Grand'Rapids, Mich.

Application February 5, 1945, Serial No. 576,218

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for straightening the sides of freight cars which become bulged out and otherwise deformed in service. It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide a very practical and effective apparatus for such purposes, one which can be rapidly and expeditiously used and by means of which the deformation which may take place, particularly in the metallic sides of a railway freight car are effectively and quickly corrected and straightened.

I An understanding of the invention maybe had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. l isa side elevation withparts broken away showing the apparatus and its manner of use in straightening the sides of a boxcar.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a gauge and guide which is used in conjunction with the apparatus at the inner sides of the sides of the car.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1 with parts broken away for a better disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section through the abutment side walls. Y

Fig. 6 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 2 and wherein the apparatus used inside the car is of a modified structure from that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a transverse section similar to Figs. 2 and 6 illustrating the apparatus and its use in conjunction with the. sides of a gondola car body.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the gauge and frame shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 is a plan view thereof, and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary outside elevation of the side abutments two of which are used and between which the car to be repaired is located.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the preferred apparatus which I have devised a solid base or bed I preferably of concrete of the necessary strength and rigidity, has located thereover spaced apart rails 2. carried on cross ties or the like 3, onto which the car to be repaired is moved. It of course is to be understood that the rails 2 may be connected with a siding so that a car may be moved into position for repair when needed.

Outwardly from the track rails 2 at each side, vertical side abutments are provided preferably consisting of heavy vertical plates 4 connected with vertical posts 5 which are strongly and rigidly secured in blocks 6 in turn embedded in the concrete bed. As shown best in Fig. 5, the plates 4 are received in vertical grooves in the posts 5 which posts are preferably of a strong metallic construction. As shown in Fig. 10, the plates 4 may be further reinforced at their outer sides by diagonal bars Eat. It is of course to be understood that the posts 5 if necessary may be braced by diagonal braces extending from an upper portion thereof outwardly to the bed I. The length covered by the side abutments is sulficient to receive a railway car therebetween and of a height to reach approximately the roof of a box car, being in practice approximately 58 feet long and 14 -feet high.

Within the side walls thus described, a frame supported by corner posts I is likewise permanently and strongly secured in the bed I. The posts at each side of the rails "2 have side bars 2% preferably of an I beam structure extending lengthwise of and substantially parallel to the side abutment's, and end cross bars 9 are secured at their ends to the side rails 3. It is to be understood that the posts 1, side rails 8 and cross members 9 are preferably made of structural forms of iron permanently secured together.

The side rails 8 provide tracks at the lower outwardly extending flanges thereof for carriages l!) which have rollers running upon the upper sides of said flanges, whereby the carriages may traverse said tracks to any desired position between the posts I. From each of the carriages Ill a jack H is suspended. As shown in Fig. 2 there are two of the jacks which may be double acting that is, having rods extending from opposite ends at the outer ends of which are flat heads ll! of disk form. The jacks are suspended from the carriages H! by suitable chain hoists 23 which may be manually operated to position the jacks at any desired place in the height of a side of a car body which is to be repaired.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the boxcar body has a bottom 14 and vertical sides Ill. The jacks may be located so that the outer heads will bear against a plate 4 at each of the side walls or abutments, While the inner heads come against the outer sides of the sides l5 of the body.

Within the body a gauge and guide is used which in one form may be constructed as shown in Fig. 3. It consists of a rack having four corner posts 16 having adjustable post extensions I 6a with casters I! at their lower ends, upper and lower side frame bars I8 connecting the corner posts, and cross frame bars 19 also connecting them, with diagonal bars 20 between the ends of the upper and lower side bars 18. Also paralleling the side bars l8 are intermediate bars 2| substantially midway between the upper and lower frame bars l8 and I9 a shelf 22 is shown. Below the lower bars I8 and 2| a cross plate 21a is secured with a jack Zlb connected to and extending below it to rest on the car bottom 14 and to be used in extending the gauge vertically. In addition end plates 22a are disposed between the posts l6 and end cross bars 19 as shown (Fig. 3).

This construction as shown in Fig. 2 is located with the directions of its length across the boxcar body and within it. And while in Fig. 2 the corner posts 16 are shown as located against the inner sides of the sides of the car body, it maybe preferable and desirable to have the length of the gauge and guide shorter and fill any spaces between the sides of the car body and the ends of the gauge, different fillers being used in ac cordance with Variance in width of the bodies of the freight cars.

In the operation, by extending the jacks, the

outer heads 12 are pressed firmly against the abutment plates i, and the sides 15 of the car body may be forced inwardly, if they have been bulged or distorted outwardly, and in this manner such sides straightened. It is evident that by a proper manipulation of the jacks, each of which may be of a hydraulic character and each independently operable, in connection with the gauge within the body, the sides may be straightened both in the case where the sides may have bulged outwardly or where they have been pushed inwardly, there being a relatively wide variation possible in the use of the gauge and the two jacks which will permit the operations described.

In Fig. 6 the apparatus used within the car body is modified, the posts 16 being set inwardly from the sides l5 of the car body and at their upper end a relatively long bar 23 provided from which additional jacks ll are suspended to be raised or lowered by the use of chain hoists l3, said jacks being shown as single acting and having inner ends bearing against the posts 16 and the outer heads 12 against the sides I5 directl opposite the inner heads l2 of the first jacks located between the sides 15 and the side abutment plates 4.

In Fig. 7 the apparatus is shown in conjunction with the straightening of the sides of a gondola body. The gauge in this construction will consist of two posts I6, preferably of channel form, with suitable diagonal braces 20a. therebetween, and a bar 23 at the upper ends of and connecting said post and suspended from the carriages ID, at the ends of which vertical depending channels 24 are secured at their upper ends to lie against the inner sides of the side abutment plates 4. The outer jacks H are suspended from the bar 23 and have their outer ends against the inner sides of the channel 24, the inner heads l2 of said jacks being adapted to be brought against the outside of the sides I 5a of the gondola body. The inner jacks II are also suspended by the chain hoists 13 from the overhead bar 23, their outer heads 12 being adapted to press against the inner sides of the sides I5a of the gondola with their inner heads against the channel posts 16. It is evident that with the constructions as disclosed in Figs. 6 and '7, and with each of the jacks H independently operable, straightening the sides of the car bodies may be rapidly and expeditiously performed, the backs being moved to any desired portions of the body sides which need straightening.

The structure described is practical and very useful and may be manufactured and installed for use quickly and efiectively.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A straightening device comprising two spaced rigid vertical walls adapted to have a vehicle with vertical sides located between them and expansion means movabl mounted between said walls adapted to be located at the respective outer sides of said vehicle and to simultaneously exert pressure between said walls and said vehicle sides, longitudinally movable overhead carrying means, vertical guideways on said carrying means and means for hanging said expansion means on said carrying means for vertical adjustment in said vertical guides.

2. A straightening device comprising two spaced rigid vertical walls adapted to have a vehicle with vertical sides located between them and expansion means movably mounted between said walls adapted to be located at the respective outer sides of said vehicle and to simultaneously exert pressure between said walls and said vehicle sides, means adapted to be located between the vehicle sides and to press outwardly thereon, longitudinally movable overhead carrying means and means for hanging both said expansion means and said pressure means on said carrying means for vertical adjustment.

3. A straightening device comprising two spaced rigid vertical walls adapted to have a vehicle with vertical sides located between them and expansion means movably mounted between said walls adapted to be located at the respective outer sides of said vehicle and to simultaneously exert pressure between said walls and said vehicle sides, expansion means adapted to be located within said vehicle engageable with the inner surfaces of its sides, longitudinally movable overhead carrya ing means, vertical guides depending from said carrying means adapted to be located both inside and outside of said vehicle, and means for hanging all of said expansion means on said carrying means for vertical adjustment in said vertical guides.

ROY C. SCl-IRAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 467,657 Wood Jan. 26, 1892 1,408,023 Nuerwell Feb. 28, 1922 1,604,543 Wilson Oct. 26, 1926 1,647,706 McArthur Nov. 1, 1927 1,749,806 Fisher Mar. 11, 1930 1,773,187 Johnson Aug. 19, 1930 1,818,435 Smith et a1 Aug. 11, 1931 2,146,875 Woodson Feb. 14, 1939 

